The Stepmother
by Ninonane
Summary: Elena is sentenced to life in prison after being wrongfully accused of the murder of her friend. Her ex husband, Damon who believes she killed her friend decides to make his kids grow up thinking that she is dead. After 20 years in a prison, Elena is released and our for vengeance. Not only to find the true killer, but against the man who took her life away. AU/AH. DE Multi-Pairing


**IMPORTANT! READ BEFORE GOING AHEAD: First, thanks for checking out my story, and second, please do note that none of these characters have the same relationships on the show then on here. Their relationships are irrelevant in my story, sorry but I really didn't want to fill it with a whole bunch of OCs. There will be cut scenes separated by the lines, so don't freak out. That's it! Thanks for reading and enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own TVD.**

* * *

The thunder and the rain was all that was heard in the Salvatore estate. Damon preferred it dark, especially on a night like this. His blue eyes staring up at _her_. He could only see the piercing brown eyes staring back when the thunder would strike because the light dim of the candles that surrounded living room wasn't enough to see her.

The fireplace more of a shrine to her than anything, it was the spotlight of this home. Of this mansion and these castle like walls that surrounded him.

Damon sat back with his black tailor suit a mess, and in his hand his drink of choice. "Twenty years... tomorrow will mark twenty years. Twenty years filled with lies and loneliness." He murmured to himself mostly. Whispering to the brim of his glass as he tipped it back and drank the amber liquid. His eyes never leaving her as the thunder illuminated her eyes.

"Twenty years," Elena whispered. Her whisper almost disappearing between herself and the concrete walls that surrounded her as she clung to a silver cross. Clenched in her hands tightly as her body shook with rage and sorrow. "Tomorrow will be twenty years without my children."

Her cheek damp with tears, and her long, uncared hair around her tiny frame. "Of being in this damn jail cell," She breathed rapidly to try and bypass the sob that threatened to drown her. "Twenty years of loneliness and bitterness. Twenty years…" The tears Elena held back overpowered her as they ran down her cheek and hitting the silver cross she gripped.

* * *

"You're nobody," Damon set aside his glass, his mouth hot from the bourbon as he stared up at the portrait of his "dead" wife with remorse and hatred. "An unknown woman who we call Katherine."

Damon sneered up at her, at the portrait version of his wife. "Nobody. Because my true wife, was Elena."

* * *

"Elena," The cell warden called out, snapping Elena out of the hateful trance and thoughts she carried on in her mind. "It's late, Elena. You must return to your cell before I get a warning." The warden allowed Elena to sometimes stand by the fireplace that was in one of the rooms. Knowing the poor girl's head would explode if she didn't do so.

The warden approached Elena's box of things; the only things that remained from that God awful trip. The warden reached out and chuckled upon finding a wrinkled picture that Elena had kept. "Ooh. Hey, even I would kill for a man like this," She joked with Elena, looking upon the picture was a young man with eyes brighter than Aruba's waters themselves, and a smile that was truly…killer. "Who is this, your husband?"

In less than a few seconds, Elena was up from her chair with a hateful look on her eyes. If looks could kill, the warden would have been dead in an instant.

"That man is nothing more than a unfortunate, damn coward!" She growled out like a tigress ready to attack, even the warden looked concerned before Elena snatched the picture out of her hand and tucked it back into the box.

"Fine fine. But I still think that the man in this picture is as fine as-" The warden didn't have a chance to finish because Elena snapped back again and glared at her.

"Don't talk about him. Act as if you never even saw him."

"Just tell me one thing," The warden whispered, trying to hush Elena. She knew Elena was not as bad as the others, and the warden actually tolerated her. Lighting a cigarette, she smirked at Elena. "Are you here because of him?"

Elena paused, looking at the warden in the eye before she stole the cigarette out of her unsmooth, battered hands. "I don't know." She placed the nicotine filled paper in her mouth and took a huff.

"Did you love him?" The warden asked once, before she was received with Elena's back and even more silence. "I asked if you loved him, Elena!" The warden raised her voice in hopes that Elena would answer.

Pausing, Elena breathed out the deadly substance back out before facing the warden once more. "You want to know the truth?"

"Of course I do."

"If I ever did love him, I don't even remember. Even if I did, I don't wish to remember." Elena ended the conversation like she ended the cigarette as she flung it to the floor and stumped it out with the bulky, black jail boots.

* * *

" _You're a murderer!"_

" _I'm not guilty!" Elena beseeched all of them who stood before her in the court. Her strength wavered a long time ago as her eyes were puffy from crying and her mouth dry from pleading that she was innocent. "I'm innocent!"_

" _Murderer!"_

 _The judge banged against the gavel with his hammer, the echoes silencing the chaos among them. "I declare you guilty."_

 _Elena stood shaking her head as her forearms were grabbed by her close friend and mentor, Alaric. "I believe in your innocence, Elena."_

" _Ric, I'm convicted for murder. I'm sentenced to a life in prison for a crime I didn't commit! I'm not a murderer, I swear I'm not!" Elena spoke in between hiccups and fat tears that rolled down her cheek. She couldn't believe it. Out of all the people she knew, loved, and trusted, only one of them believed of her innocence._

 _The image of Alaric suddenly became blurred and it was replaced by the clear, cold eyes of her husband, the love of her life, they were Damon's cruel eyes. "Damon! I want to see my children!"_

 _Damon's face twisted in disgust as he looked at her, his voice booming in her ears and in the courtroom. "You should have thought about your kids when you pulled the trigger, Elena. You'll never see them again, I swear you this."_

" _I didn't do anything! I swear on my children that I didn't do anything. I'm innocent, Damon, please. You have to believe me!"_

" _I can't believe you, Elena. No matter what you say I can't believe you. The judge searched and found you guilty." He sneered down on her, spitting daggers towards the woman he would've died for._

" _No! NO! You have to please. For the love we have for one another!" She pleaded, her arms reaching out to him before he tugged them away with disbelief._

" _Our love? I loved you and our family more than I could ever say. You don't deserve our children, you don't deserve my love. You don't deserve anything, Elena." He spoke against her once more as she shook her head and her body trembled with her cries. Damon turned on his heels and headed out for the exit._

" _Damon! Damon I love you please wait! Damon my children!" Elena raced after him, but the passage to the exit of the courtroom was surrounded with her friends, people who she trusted and loved, and also the guards who jolted her back violently. "You have to believe me!" She yelled to him as she was dragged back by the men in white uniforms._

 _Elena screamed and begged for Damon, for her children to her friends who stood there casting judgment filled looks towards her. They stood there and did…nothing for her. Even when she felt her lungs burn from the begging and her tears coated her face, none of them helped._

" _Damon!"_

"Damon!" Elena screamed one last time before she jolted from her bed filled with violent shivers, sweat, and tears. Trying to calm herself, she sat on her bed and rested her back against the wall. Her chest heaving with her sobs, she sat sideways and pulled the box that she kept beside her bed towards her. She fished out a picture of her kids. "My children…" She whispered as her fingertips caressed the old, worn out photograph.

Feeling the tears already drying on her cheeks, she sighed with sorrow and prayed to god, asked him, pleaded to him for her to see them again. But she knew that she would never escape these four walls again.

* * *

Weeks passed and Elena sat with her new cellmate. The warden had told Elena about the new girl, and even thought she was used to being in her cell alone, she couldn't deny she liked to have a little company.

The girl's name was Caroline. Much younger than Elena, seeing as she was now in her late 30s, and Caroline in her early twenties. The girl was pretty, with long blonde hair, and bright blue eyes.

Talkative. Very talkative was the first thing that Elena noticed about this girl. Caroline as soon as she had stepped in began to pour all her information, and just to keep the conversation going, Elena did too. Aside from the warden, she never told anyone else anything, much less her story.

"During these twenty years, I haven't spoken to anyone about what happened to me. But when you started to talk, and I told you what happened the memories came rushing in…" Elena admitted with a low tone as she began to work on the silver pieces.

During the last twenty years Elena had made some money creating silver jewelry. The one person who never did forget about her was Alaric. Even while teaching, he sent some silver to Aruba, and Elena made enough jewelry to send back to New York and keep some for herself to sell. She had found that it was the only thing besides the existence of her children to keep her from going insane.

"You can tell me anything, Elena. Trust me," Caroline broke Elena out of her train of thoughts as she approached, clutching Elena's hands with her own tightly and giving a squeeze. "I know how to keep secrets…what did that woman do that got her killed?"

Elena quickly pulled away from Caroline's hold on her, and swallowed. Looking up into Caroline's curious eyes, she shook her head. "It was never known. The only thing I cared about was the autopsy and that it revealed that Victoria Donovan was pregnant. She was pregnant with a baby boy when she was killed." The guilt in Elena's voice increased, not only because she still suffered the loss of her friend, but also the weight of whoever did it.

"Oh my God, Elena…" A gasp from Caroline didn't make anything better; the bitter memories surrounded Elena like a dark force field. "If you want to get anything else of your chest, please tell me. From the beginning… I want to help you." Caroline demanded, and even though Elena knew she just wanted to help, it was still difficult.

Elena thought for a moment as the silence swallowed them both; she pondered what Pandora's box she was opening if she told everything to Caroline. Could she take it? Would the sorrow be too much for her this time?

After a considerable amount of time, Elena decided to speak. "It all started twenty years ago. My husband and I, along with some family _friends,"_ Elena hissed out the word. "Left the country, New York to be specific, for some time off. We traveled to different places, and we checked in on the most expensive hotels the countries had to offer. Vicki was also on that trip."

"Did Vicki go alone?" Caroline interrupted to ask.

"No," Elena turned her back on Caroline and checked on the chunk of silver she was melting before she began to tell her story. "She was with Jeremy, her husband."

Caroline walked over the smelting table and sat on one of the stools, trying to gain Elena's eye contact back. "I don't understand. It was just a group of friends?" Caroline leaned in and rested her chin against the palm of her hand.

Once the silver was liquefied, Elena glanced up briefly at Caroline, wanting to keep the story going, but also not to try and hurt herself. "No, there were also my husband's aunts. Carol and Liz. Carol was very wicked, cold, insidious, but Liz was very mousy, and a pushover."

Elena continued as Caroline viewed over the pieces of jewelry and took the liberty of trying some on.

"Always letting Carol dominate her, tell her what to do. It was quite infuriating. Both were against my wedding with Damon because I was from a different social status."

Caroline furrowed her perfect eyebrows as she tried fitting the pin in her ear. "And how exactly did you meet your husband?"

"I once worked in his company. I was just like many that worked there. Humble and good, but I worked with dignity. Damon and I fell in love and married even though I was never enough for his aunts," She let out a deep sigh, even though a bit of pride still ran through her. "Both thought of me as an intruder, all they thought was that I wanted their damn money. Especially Carol. Because for Carol, the only thing that matters is money…"

"Carol, Liz, Damon, Isobel, John, Andie, Lorenzo, and Mason. Among them is the murderer. One of them is the murderer. One of them murdered Vick."

"You also think your husband might have done it, Elena?" Caroline asked, confused as to why Elena, having loved Damon would make such sharp accusations.

"I think all of them might have done it, Caroline. All of them!"

* * *

Olivia sat on the coffee table staring up at _her._ Her pout was elongated, just like her smooth blonde hair was. She never understood why. It wasn't fair. The worst people had it all. They had fortune, a family, everything. Yes, her family was extremely wealthy, but not all of the money her dad had could ever make her happy like she knew _she_ could. She didn't want money, she wanted her mom.

"Mom," A sob left her plump lips as a tear rolled from her cheeks. "My mom. I will never allow anyone to take your place in this home. I swear." She let a loud sob escape her lips.

* * *

"You don't know how much I miss my children, Caroline. Even though they're not children anymore. My daughter was so pretty," Elena looked down with a proud smile of her memory before addressing Caroline again. "Nobody liked the name Olivia but Damon and I, but I kept it and that's her name today." Elena could notice the tears fill up Caroline's own eyes.

"What has become of her?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know," Elena sniffed and licked her lips. "Is she happy?"

"Mom," Liv whispered, staring at her beloved mother on the wall. "If you only knew. If you could only see me," She paused before standing, approaching the portrait and resting her chin on the fireplace. "I'm so unhappy." Olivia wailed as she tears cascaded down her face.

"My children," Damon sighed as he leaned in his office chair, resting his big forearms on the mahogany desk. "Everything I have done has been for them. They don't realize how much I love them, but I do. They're the most important thing in my life. The most important."

"How many children do you have, Elena?" Caroline asked, wiping the tears off her face with the back of her hand.

"Two," Elena looked up at Caroline with a sorrow filled smile.

"Just two?"

"Yes, only two. Two children that the coward took away from me. What I love most in this word. My two children who I'd give my life for." Elena sobbed, feeling the violent sadness shake through her as Caroline moved behind her and placed her palm on her back, soothing her to the best of her abilities.

* * *

"My three children," Damon whispered, glancing at the portrait that rested on his desk. Taylor, Olivia, and Matthew and they all smiled at his through the portrait, arms laced around each other's back. Damon threw his head back, letting the leather chair support the back of his head. "I am so tired of this façade. Of this lie!"

"Something wrong, Damon?" Isobel asked, startling him as she walked in his home office holding two glasses of wine. Once Isobel had set his glass of wine on his desk, she swayed her way to the windows adorning his office, taking a sip before turning again to face Damon. "What is Rose doing here? Why did you invite her to the ceremony?"

She pouted as she approached the desk, Damon already expecting her comments, he sighed and couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"For twenty years our business, Damon and no one else's. She's a stranger," Isobel continued.

"Rose is not a stranger, Isobel. She's the woman I'm marrying." Circling around his desk to make the exit before he would wrap himself in Isobel's accusations and meaningless talk, the sound of glass shattering on the floor stopped him in his tracks.

"You're not marrying Rose. You're not marrying her! In fact, you're not marrying anyone, Damon!" Isobel hissed out, her manicured finger pointing at him. "That was your promise."

Damon stood even though Isobel had quickly slithered her way back to him, their chests almost bumping as Damon continued to play this silly little game. "Whatever I had promised, I promised it many years ago."

"I'll only say one thing," Isobel interrupted him from defending his reasons any further. "If you get married, I'll start talking. And what happened twenty years ago, will come out, and your children will be the first to know about it. I swear to God, Damon."

"If any of my children hear of this, I'll kill you, Isobel," Damon threatened Isobel, his eyes widening, almost frightening her. Damon would kill for his children, no doubt. But what else would he kill for? "I swear I'll kill you!"

"You'd kill me? Would dare kill me?" Isobel chuckled in his face, taunting him even further. Her eyes widening as well as Damon watched as she unraveled into the crazy mess Isobel had become these last few years. "You'd kill me like you killed Vicki twenty years ago?!"

"I'd shut up if I were you, Isobel!"

"No, I want you tell me if you're capable of committing the same crime twice, Damon. The same crime your wife, Elena is in jail for!" Damon could only raise his chest in disbelief and anger as Isobel taunted him. "Tell me, Damon! Would you murder again?"

Damon paused, staring down at Isobel. His anger was evident on his face as his forehead wrinkled as his lips pressed into a thin line. His heart hammered against his chest, and his throat ran dry for Isobel wasn't wavering.

"You heard me, Damon. I asked you if you're going to murder me like you murdered Vicki."

"How-" Damon stuttered for a moment, able to put some space between Isobel and him. "How dare you say such a thing to me? Especially on this day, Isobel?!"

"Hey," Isobel backed up as she saw that Damon was ready to strike, but not today. She wouldn't allow Damon's power and stature corner her from what she had to say. She wouldn't hold back. "But, hey this is the best day to reminiscence, Damon. Don't you think? We have to remember Elena."

* * *

Elena and Caroline walked back to her cell, followed closely by a warden like most women were when returning to their cell. Elena help all the jewelry made for today that was to be shipped to Alaric, and Caroline followed quietly behind. Once locked behind their cell again, Caroline began to speak.

"Elena," Elena thought that today had ben draining, and even though she liked Caroline, she didn't like her enough to listen to her for the whole day. "Do you feel better?"

Elena shook her head as she safely stored the jewelry. "I will never feel better, Caroline. Being trapped in here is a constant reminder, it's impossible not to think, yet alone feel better."

* * *

"I loved Elena with all my soul," Damon declared as he circled back behind his desk, to his displeasure, Isobel still swarming around him like a fly. "I promised I would never replace her, and I have kept that promise. I have kept it that way for these past twenty years. Twenty years filled with sorrow and loneliness."

"If you loved Elena so much why did you divorce her? Tell me." Isobel demanded as she leaned over the desk.

"For my children!" Damon didn't miss the beat on answering this, and that was because it was the truth. Everything Damon had ever done was for his children. "I had to break everything between Elena and I so they wouldn't suffer. They couldn't know that their mother was in jail for killing Stefan's mother. It would've ruined their lives." Damon declared as he looked dup at the ceiling, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"I-" Damon tried to continue, but found himself at a loss for words. "I couldn't allow it. That's why I sacrificed my love for Elena. That's why I renounced my life as a man and just focused on being a father."

* * *

"I don't care about Damon," Elena told Caroline. Sitting on the bottom bunker as she saw Caroline's golden strands of hair dangle as she peaked over the top bunker. "I stopped loving him a long time ago. I now have a lot of resentment against him. The only thing I care about are my kids, Caroline. I can't help but think what they must have told them about me."

Elena paused, pressing the back of her palm against her face as she tried to stop the tears from rolling down her cheek.

"Do they hate me? Do they even know I'm alive? Do they think I'm dead?" Sobbing and with eyes full of tears, she looked up at the dirty cell ceiling. "Sometimes I think I'll go insane from all the pain and sorrow…"

* * *

"For twenty years I felt like I was going crazy from not having her in my life," Damon eyed the bourbon on his desk, feeling like his old habits of drowning his issues in alcohol would come handy right at this moment. "But time has passed. My children are already grown, and I've become too lonely."

Damon walked from behind his desk and past Isobel, giving her his back as he stared out the window and into the sunny area surrounding the Salvatore mansion.

"Loneliness that apparently your children can't fix," Isobel chuckled as she crossed her arms and stood behind him. "I'm talking about your two kids, Damon. The two you had with Elena because Matt? He's not Elena's son," Isobel approached him, Damon already feeling her breath on the back of his neck. "Whose child is Matt, Damon? Who is his mother?"

Damon snapped back and glared down at Isobel, making her take a step back as he walked towards his desk once more. He felt restless, like he couldn't stay in a spot too long. "I don't want you asking questions about Matt ever again, Isobel. He is my son and that enough for you to know." Damon took a seat and sighed, feeling that this talk he had been having with Isobel was draining him of all his remaining energy.

"Fine, but answer me something else…do you love her?" Isobel asked as she sat in the corner of Damon's desk and began to light a cigarette with her delicate hands. "Tell me. Do you love Rose?"

Damon stayed quiet, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index, not being able to face Isobel and not being able to answer the question with certainty. "I'll never love again. I'll never love again like I loved Elena."

* * *

 **Hoped you like this first chapter! Depending on how this goes, I'll upload another one soon! Comment and review!**


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